Tool release device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus that includes a material that holds a release section in an engaged position. The apparatus also includes a heat source to change the phase of the material, allowing the release section to move to a disengaged position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/298329, filed on Feb. 22, 2016 and entitled: “Tool Release Device” the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure generally relates apparatus and methods of releasing a tool in a wellbore.

BACKGROUND

Tools conveyed into a wellbore can get stuck. The sticking can be due to differential pressure, cable keying, or the like. Release of one or more modules of a toolstring may be required so that subsequent fishing operations can be performed.

SUMMARY

An apparatus that includes a material that holds a release section in an engaged position. The apparatus also includes a heat source that changes the phase of the material, allowing the release section to move to a disengaged position.

A downhole system that includes an apparatus. The apparatus has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is held fixed relative to the second portion when a material is in a first phase. The first portion is free to move relative to the second portion when the material is in a second phase. A heat source is configured to be selectively actuated to change the material from the first phase to the second phase.

A method of releasing a portion of a toolstring from another portion of the toolstring. The method includes conveying a toolstring into a wellbore. The method also includes sending an actuation signal to the toolstring, actuating a heat source; and melting a material, thereby allowing one portion of the toolstring to move relative to another portion of the toolstring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of an apparatus for releasing a first portion of a toolstring from another portion of a toolstring.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of an apparatus for releasing a first portion of a toolstring from another portion of a toolstring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. In describing these examples, like or identical reference numbers are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic for clarity and/or conciseness.

An apparatus that has a material. The material can be an alloy, composite, or metal. For example, the material can include bismuth mix with another material to form a low melt point alloy. The material holds a release section in an engaged position. The release section can be a sliding sleeve, a collet, or the like. For example, the material can be located in compression between collet fingers when in the first phase, and when in the second phase, which can be a liquid phase, the material allows the collet finger to collapse. The material can be put into the second phase using a heat source. The heat source can be an electric heater, an exothermic chemical reaction, thermite, or the like.

A downhole system that includes an apparatus. The apparatus has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is held fixed relative to the second portion when a material is in a first phase. The first portion is free to move relative to the second portion when the material is in a second phase. A heat source is configured to be selectively actuated, and when the heat source is actuated it changes the material from the first phase to the second phase.

A method of releasing a portion of a toolstring from another portion of the toolstring includes conveying a toolstring into a wellbore. The toolstring can be conveyed on drillstring, wireline cable, slickline, coiled tubing, or the like. The method can also include sending an actuation signal to the toolstring; thereby, actuating a heat source. After actuation of the heat source, the method includes melting a material, thereby, allowing one portion of the toolstring to move relative to another portion of the toolstring.

Now turning to the FIGS., FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of an apparatus for releasing a first portion of a toolstring from another portion of a toolstring. The apparatus can include a housing 110. The housing 110 can be configured, at a lower portion thereof, to connect with a downhole portion of the toolstring.

A release section 124 can connect with the housing 110 and with an upper portion of the toolstring, thereby, connecting the lower portion of the toolstring with the upper portion of the toolstring. Any number of the apparatus can be included in the toolstring. The release structure 124 can be a collet that engages with notches in an inner surface of the housing 110, and a material 120, in a solid phase, the material can be located between collet fingers in compression, thereby, preventing the collet from disengaging from the housing 110.

A heating element 122 can be located adjacent the material 120, and the heating element can be actuated from a signal from the surface. The heating element can be an electrical heater that is provided power from the surface. In one or more embodiments, the heating element 122 can be a chemical heater, such as thermite, and an electronic initiator can be located adjacent the thermite. Accordingly, an electric signal can be sent to the electronic initiator, and the electronic initiator can cause the thermite to generate heat.

A cable 130 can pass through the material and the release structure. The cable 130 can provide power, telemetry, or the like to portions of the toolstring.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of an apparatus for releasing a first portion of a toolstring from another portion of a toolstring. The apparatus can include a lower housing 1 and upper housing 3. A material 2 can be operatively located in the apparatus to prevent the upper housing 3 from moving relative to the lower housing 1, when the material 2 is in a solid state. For example, a release section can be formed by locating the material in a notched section forming a chamber in an aligned portion of the lower and upper housing, accordingly, the material will engage upper and lower shoulders on the lower housing and upper and lower shoulders on the upper housing, thereby, preventing the housings from moving relative to one another, when the material is in a first phase.

The apparatus can include a bulkhead at each end. The bulkheads can be pressure bulkheads, electrical bulkheads, or both. The bulkheads 9A and 9B can be connected and/or integrated with the lower housing 1 and upper housing 3 using now known techniques or future known techniques.

The apparatus can also include a heater 4 that is operatively connected to a heater initiator 7. The apparatus can also include a cable bypass 5, which allows a cable to run therethrough, to provide power, telemetry, or both to the lower portion of the toolstring. A fluid port 6 can be located thereon on to allow the material 2 in a liquid state to pass out of the apparatus.

A port 8 can allow wellbore pressure, after the material is in the second state, to enter the apparatus, preventing pressure lock. Furthermore, when the material is in the second or fluid state the upper housing is free to move relative to the lower housing. Accordingly, the upper portion of the toolstring, connected above the upper housing, can be removed from the wellbore, and the lower portion of the toolstring, connected portion of toolstring below the apparatus, is left in hole.

One or more apparatus disclosed herein can be used in a toolstring that is used for pump down plug conveyance, wireline intervention. Drillstring operations, coiled tubing operations, or other downhole toolstrings conveyed using any now know or future known conveyance system and/or device.

Although example assemblies, methods, systems have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers every method, apparatus, and article of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a material; a release section held in an engaged position by the material; and a heat source to change the phase of the material, allowing the release section to move to a disengaged position.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises: a housing with an inner surface having one or more notches configured to operatively receive a portion of the release section when the release section is in an engaged position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cable feed through formed through the release section and the material.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the release section is a collet with collet figures, and wherein the material is located between the collet fingers in compression.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the release section comprises, a notch section formed in a lower housing, and wherein the notch section in the lower housing is aligned with a notch section formed in the upper housing, and wherein the material is located in the notch sections, thereby, preventing the housing from moving relative to one another when the material is in a first phase.
 6. A downhole system comprising: an apparatus, wherein the apparatus has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is held fixed relative to the second portion when a material is in a first phase, and wherein the first portion is free to move relative to the second portion when the material is in a second phase; and a heat source configured to be selectively actuated to change the material from the first phase to the second phase.
 7. The downhole system of claim 6, wherein a port is in fluid communication with the material and an exterior of the apparatus.
 8. The downhole system of claim 6, wherein the heat source is a chemical heat source.
 9. The downhole system of claim 8, wherein the chemical heat source is activated by an initiator.
 10. The downhole system of claim 6, wherein the heat source is an electric heater.
 11. A method of releasing a portion of a toolstring from another portion of the toolstring, wherein the method comprises: conveying a toolstring into a wellbore; sending an actuation signal to the toolstring, actuating a heat source; and melting a material, thereby allowing one portion of the toolstring to move relative to another portion of the toolstring.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the allowing one portion of the toolstring to move relative to another portion of the toolstring comprises moving a upper housing relative to a lower housing after the material is melted.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the allowing one portion of the toolstring relative to another portion of the toolstring, comprises collet fingers disengaging from notches formed in an inner diameter of a housing. 